A Marine’s Afghan AAR (IV): Slow down and enjoy the scenery

Here CWO2/Gunner Keith Marine questions the system that rewards people who drive into roadside bombs:

Drive slow, and stop rewarding failure.  Out of three units who regularly drove Route 605, the number of IED strikes to finds was significant.  The solution is a training one, not one dealing with luck.  IED strikes are preventable.  If you are driving slow enough (below five miles per hour) you will recognize things like rocks the locals put across the road or a line of foot tracks that suddenly veer off the side of the road or a break in vehicle tracks.  The get back to the FOB mentality, coupled with the sure knowledge that Marines will not get hurt in an MRAP but be rewarded with a Combat Action Ribbon kills us.  Giving a Marine a CAR for screwing up and hitting an IED is one of the dumbest things we have ever done, especially when the guy who finds a dozen IEDs is not "engaged by the enemy" but the asshole that drives like mad and hits one is a hero.  Let’s be honest with ourselves and recognize an IED strike for what it is, a failure, and take the time to investigate what went wrong.

Drive slow enough to identify irregularities in your environment.  Log and MRAP Company (Amtrackers turned into an MRAP Company) should be masters at Combat Hunter.  You have to get out of your vehicles and V-Sweep areas that you expect to find IEDs in.